Genesis Examines: A Practical Guide to Exhibition Preparations

Production times might not be the most glamorous aspect of your forthcoming show – but they are important. Not only are these important for your printers sanity (think of us!) but also because turnaround times can effect what you’re looking to produce – if you’ve only left days then it would be very difficult for us to print and frame your work in that time. However, it goes without saying that we will always try and accommodate tight turnaround times where possible and work to find the best solutions… From years in the business, we do understand that sometimes tight turnarounds have to happen!

Even if you’re not yet in the position to produce your work, it’s a good idea to prepare yourself by seeing the possibilities available for the later stages of your work – you might see things you hadn’t considered previously or didn’t know were possible (printing direct to substrates, for example, or producing mural supersize wallpapers). The production of the piece can make such a difference to the way it is situated and the effect it has on the viewer – and that’s worth exploring early.

It can be tempting to include a large selection of works – but think, ‘are all of these images necessary?’ – it’s better to showcase a tighter edit that more coherently conveys your message to people who may not have the time or interest to view each piece, especially if your work is included in a group show. More isn’t always better.

Presentation

Consider how your work will be hung in the exhibition – are you able to drill into the walls of the space, or do you need to think about alternatives? Standard museum-hanging distance is around 156cm from the ground to the center of the picture, but a lot of people don’t consider the viewing distance from their prints. This is important to think about when you view your test prints, and final images – think about it, get someone to hold it the right distance away, evaluate the piece as a whole. It’s also important to remember that the floor in the room that you’re installing is not always level – make sure to check any measurements with a spirit level!

Packaging and Transportation

Packaging and transportation might also not be the most glamorous element of your exhibition to think about, but these are also important factors to consider before you put your work into production. Glazing your work might have a lovely finish, but it isn’t going to survive particularly well if this is part of an international touring exhibition (don’t worry, we offer Perspex too). It’s important to think these things through beforehand where possible to reduce time and cost implications, although glass can always be changed afterwards.

Crating work can also seem like an unnecessary cost, but this can prove to be a sturdy (excuse the pun) long-term investment if your work will be travelling as your work can be re-used again and again with far less likelihood of damage from transit.

Top tips

Think about production as early as possible

Find out turnaround times and bear this in mind when you’re working out timelines for your work

Explore possibilities for production (early!)

Check hanging limitations with the space you’re exhibiting in

Think about your hanging distance when you proof work

Double check measurements with a spirit level – the floor may not be even